The Broken Locket
by mystery27
Summary: James Potter and Lily Evans begin their 6th year at Hogwarts full of secret resentments and fears, but things turn upside down with new school arrangments, and in the middle of it all a secret locket full of ancient magic.
1. Daydreams and Drama

Chapter 1. _Daydreams and Drama_

It had been a very long summer for Lily Evans. She could feel the beginnings of a headache just thinking about it. '_Why does it all have to be so complicated?'_

She thought that after five years of being a witch and going to a wizarding school her sister, Petunia would get used to the fact that Lily was different. But, no! Petunia still whispers "Freak!" under her breath whenever she sees Lily reading her school books. As though Lily can't hear her, although Petunia makes sure that she does.

'_This jealousy of hers is really out of control. She's getting on my last nerve!'_

"Lily!"

She jumped and looked at up at her best friend, Adrianna Devlin standing in the doorway of the compartment, looking concerned.

"Are you alright? Don't tell me you're still worrying about your sister!?" Adrianna asked, with an accusing stare.

A guilty smile betrayed Lily. "I'm fine, really. I just got carried away. Um, did you buy anything for me from the cart?"

Adrianna smirked and threw some Chocolate Frogs and sugar quills at Lily. "I know you're just trying to change the subject, but I'll let you escape this time." She slid the compartment door closed and sat down on the wide seat across Lily. "Guess who I saw buying sweets at the cart?" 

This caught Lily's attention as she unwrapped a Chocolate Frog. "Who? Oh, wait, have you seen Seath or Abby? I saw them before we boarded the train on the platform, but I haven't seen them since."

Adrianna shrugged. "I don't know where your boyfriend is, and I think Abby had to talk to Remus. Anyhow, I saw James Potter at the cart! He was buying lemon tarts, and there was some sixth year girl hanging on his arm. Can you believe it? We aren't even at school yet and he already has some drooling female following him around like a love-sick puppy. It looks like he hasn't changed a bit. Do you remember last year how he…"

Lily tuned Adrianna out and walked down a memory lane back to their fifth year… She could still remember the day she screamed at Potter and helped Severus Snape escape the Marauders. From that day on Potter ignored her whenever he had the opportunity, and Snape threw her a cold look every time she spoke to him. Not that it was a loss.

She thought Potter was a conceited ass from the moment she met him, and Snape, a stuck-up loner who seemed to despise everyone. That day had been a great opportunity for her to show Potter that, although she wasn't part of his fan club, she could still make him notice her. Not that him noticing her mattered to her. Of course it didn't. It was just annoying how he ignored every girl unless she was willing to worship the ground he walked on. She just needed to prove to herself that she was just as good as anyone else.

Of course, her relationship (if you could call it that), with Potter had never been exactly good. It got off a rocky start in their first year when Potter made fun of her Quidditch skills. Since then they had kept their distance, except for a few heated incidents and arguments. '_So, obviously, there is no "relationship". And since when do I devote five whole minutes of my time to thinking about Potter?_ '

A murmuring voice brought her crashing back down to earth.

"Hey, sweetness. I've been thinking about you… Lils? Is something wrong, hun?"

She opened her eyes reluctantly. Yes, it was Seath whispering in her ear. He was convinced that it turned her on, but she had never bothered correcting him. Something about hot breath and ears being sensitive? She forgot what he'd told her… 

"Hello, Seath. Can you release my arm, please?" Her voice came out in a tone she was surprised to hear coming from her. Icy. Seath released her and stood up, a confused look on his round face. He was tall and well-built, a Slytherin Quidditch chaser. She supposed that what he lacked in intelligence he made up for in looks. Unfortunately for her, he seemed to be intelligent enough to figure out when he wasn't wanted.

"Sorry. I thought you were sleeping and you might have wanted to see me, and to say a proper hullo, since we haven't seen each other since last year!" he asserted, looking disgruntled and pissed-off.

Lily didn't know what to say. She didn't understand why, all of a sudden, she felt so put-off by him. '_Why am I dating this loser anyway? I only went out with him because he wouldn't leave me alone, and I was a bit desperate for some male attention._'

She couldn't believe that that thought just popped up out of nowhere. She hadn't realized that unconsciously she was dating Seath only for the, well, benefits of a boyfriend. She realized now that she had no real interest in him in the first place. '_It was all a bit more out of physical need than anything else.'_ Not that she wasn't a virgin, of course. She wasn't that stupid. She never let it go past snogging; not that he hadn't tried…

"What is wrong with you? You've been acting strange all summer! And now this! Why the bloody hell are you being so difficult, Lils?" He was giving her a hard, piercing stare, trying to figure her out.

She gave him a cold stare back, and immediately felt guilty for her actions, and especially her thoughts. "I've had a lot of problems this summer, and you know it, Seath! I'm sorry if I'm a bit standoffish right now, but you…you startled me whispering like that!" she stammered. It was mostly true, anyhow.

"Well whatever your problem is, work it out. I'll be back later!" And with that Seath stomped out of the train compartment and slammed the sliding door behind him.

Lily let out a sigh of relief. '_Thank Merlin he's gone. I don't want to deal with him right now._'

She looked at Adrianna who was sitting in the corner, faking sleep. "Enjoyed the drama Adri?" Lily laughed. 

Adrianna opened her big green eyes and swung her long dark curls out of her face. She was one of the prettiest girls in their year. "Of course! I live for it!" She giggled.

"Wow. I thought you two would either end up snogging each other's brains out, or get in a fist fight, but I wasn't expecting him to storm out of here like that." She arched her perfect eyebrows and threw an inquisitive glance at Lily. "What is up with you, anyway? You are acting stranger than usual, and why are you so put off by Seath all of a sudden?"

But Lily never got the chance to answer, because at that moment a pretty blonde with shoulder-length hair and almond-shaped blue eyes bounced into the room. "Hullo, my pretties! Why aren't you guys dressed in your robes yet? We'll be there in about twenty minutes…" She hesitated. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No, Abby, you didn't. We were just saying that it's time to get dressed," Lily quickly said before Adrianna could utter a word.

He looked out the window at the green scenery speeding past the small window. He finished buttoning his robe and looked at the rest of the Mauraders. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were looking back at him expectantly.

"What? Is my hair a different shade?" James snapped at his best friends.

Sirius looked surprised, but quickly recovered, "No, it's just that you don't seem to be your usual self. We were just wondering what's on your mind."

"Nothing, I was just looking outside, _that's all_," he retorted, emphasizing the last two words to make his point clear.

At that moment the train's wheels screeched to a halt outside the train platform of the small village of Hogsmeade. He could already hear the mad scramble of students rushing to get off the train outside the compartment. He couldn't help but wonder what this year would bring.

"Hopefully nothing too dramatic," James murmured to himself. He had had enough of that last year.

James Potter left his thoughts behind him and left the train with his friends. They walked to the carriages that will take them to the castle pulled by the invisible Thestrals, although they were not invisible to James.

Students jostled for carriages as they were all in a hurry to get to the castle and the feast that awaited. In all the hustle and bustle James forgot to watch where he was going and tripped over a trunk without warning.

"What the he…!" James exclaimed as he tripped and landed on top of the trunk. His shin hurt like hell, and now he was really irritated. "Who left this bloody trunk out here?!" he yelled into the throngs of students leaving the train. The rest of the Marauders were trying not to laugh. It was not often that they saw James lose his cool.

Long red hair and green eyes flew into view. "Oops! I'm so sorry, I…" Lily faltered when she saw who had just tripped over her trunk.

James blinked. He felt, that, as if for a second, time froze. It was _her_. He couldn't believe this. First day back and they already ran into each other.

He recovered himself quickly and arranged his face into a not-so-covincing smirk. "I should've known it'd be you Evans," he remarked in an indifferent voice, trying to cover up surprise and anger.

She threw him a cold stare in response and walked away with the trunk magically levitating behind her.


	2. Unexpected Events

**This chapter begins with James the day after they arrive at Hogwarts for their 6th year. **

Ch 2 –Unexpected Events

James looked at himself in the mirror, examining his bold features; black, unruly and unmanageable hair that always looked messy and stuck up in the back. His brown eyes shone with excitement behind his glasses, and his fair complexion was flushed. His looks attracted many female admirers. His intelligence, wit, and skill at Quidditch made many boys envious.

His reflection was suddenly distorted as a face emerged, and it spoke, "You know kid, I've been watching you for the past five years and I believe you're just as conceited, but a little less arrogant, judging from previous years."

James raised his eyebrows in surprise. '_Just what I need— a mirror who gives a blow by blow of what's NOT on the surface.' _James mentally rolled his eyes.

"Now, lad, I know it's not on top of your priorities to listen to an old mirror when so much is happening in your life but humor me for a while would you?"

James looks at the mirror, appalled and the mirror laughs. "There's a lad, this won't take too long. I've been here for as long as I remember and I need something to amuse me."

James loses the appalled looks, yet his eyebrows draw together in concentration.

"Well, I see you're interested," said the mirror. '_No, not really but go ahead,' thought James. _

With a voice bubbling with mirth the mirror continued, "You're a nice kid, you know that? Must be because you've matured since I last saw you, I can see it in your eyes. Let me tell you, any time last year you'd have only cared about what's on the outside but now… now, I don't think that's all that matters any more. There's someone you've just begun to see properly; it's in your eyes."

James eyebrows shot up in surprise. The mirror laughed again. "You know laddie, your eyes are a dead giveaway, too many emotions beyond the arrogant façade. The problem lies in you admitting they exist. I suppose you'd work all that on your own," said the mirror with a last laugh and disappeared.

And once again, the surface of the mirror looked as it should- smooth and clear.

"_Arrogant?"_ James thought, a frown on his face. _"I wonder what he meant by that? And what was meant by that comment on outside and inside and… my eyes? I guess I can't be expected to understand mirrors,"_ thought James with a shrug but the reflective frown on his face belied his true feelings towards the situation.

He left the Prefect's bathroom and headed for the Gryffindor common room. It had been a long day for the sixth years. Professor McGonagall had handed out their new class schedules which were full of classes. He had Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, Divination, Charms, and Transfiguration to top it all off. _Plus, the Quidditch tryouts are coming up…_ That was what he looked forward to most every year. He loved being a Chaser; loved the thrill of the game.

He was walking along the corridor to the entrance of the Gryffindor tower, lost in his thoughts, which was why he walked right into a person carrying an armful of books that were stacked to their nose.

"Look out!" a female voice gasped.

_Too late._

The books went flying, as did their owner, James just caught his balance by grabbing the frame of a painting on the wall. He hurried to help the owner of the books get up.

"Good job, Potter. Is this payback for yesterday?" demanded a cool female voice.

"Evans. What a pleasant surprise. I should have known it'd be you, not paying attention to where you're going," James remarked in a sarcastic voice while a smirk played on his lips. He stood by her as she stood up, brushing dust from her robes.

Lily's nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed in response. "_Me_ not watching where I'm going?! You're always walking around with your nose up in the air. I'm sure it hurts to bend your neck down these days, or maybe it's because your head is so inflated with your ego you'd tip over if you tried."

"For your information my ego is a normal size compared to yours. Who exactly do you wish to impress carrying those books around? Consider getting a life sometime, Evans." James said this with malice in his voice.

"Well, Potter, you haven't changed one bit since last year. Not that I'm surprised. Although the fact that you still have any friends _is _a surprise. I would've thought they would have been bored with your non-existent personality and ridiculous arrogance," Lily sneered. She picked up her books and stalked furiously in the opposite direction.

Before she could walk out of ear-shot she heard Potter laugh. "Jealous, are we? At least all my friends aren't imaginary book characters! You're pathetic Evans."

Lily ignored the nasty comments and kept walking.

'_Probably going to her precious library.'_ James thought with a snort.

Lily could not bear him. She could not stand that… that little…She wanted to rip her hair out of her scalp from frustration. She had hoped he'd changed. She had hoped that they could be a little more civil to each other.

_What an idiot I was! What an imbecile to even hope Potter changed, that we could at least be on normal speaking terms_.

She arrived at the library flushed from anger and her brisk pace, which had almost been a jog. She dumped the books on the nearest library table and slumped on a chair. Suddenly, Madam Parley, the snobby librarian, appeared out of nowhere, looking like a vulture with her long crooked nose, a pouty, stern mouth, and her hair in a twist so tight it seemed to be pulling back the skin on her face.

"Well, young lady! What _do_ you think you're doing?! You may _not_ simply dump library property wherever you like however you like, as if it were common trash. Also, making loud noises, slouching, and vandalizing school property are strictly prohibited while you are in _my_ library! Not to mention that you are a _prefect_! I should report your appalling behavior to Headmaster Dumbledore—" She opened her mouth to further reprimand Lily in her shrill voice when a very loud _crash _from the back of the library made her jump and run in that direction.

Lily glared after Madam Parley, her mind racing, thoughts tumbling over each other. '_Potter. I am DONE trying and hoping to fix things between us. I guess we'll never get over what happened last year with—' _But her thoughts were interrupted as a voice called her name.

"Lily! I thought I'd find you here." Seath clenched his jaw. "We need to talk."

James slouched on an overstuffed couch in the common room, in a gloomy mood.

'_Evans…she was never able to provoke me in the past as well as she can now. Well it can't help that it's a turn-on for me, either. A feisty girl, that one. Although picking on her isn't nearly as much fun as it used to be; now it seems to have turned into hatred (at least on her part)…probably because of what happened last year. Damn! Why was I so stupid? I should've never made that bet_.'

But then Sirius, James' best mate came in through the common room entrance and clapped James on the back, interrupting his jumbled thoughts.

"Prongs! Why so moody?" Sirius inquired curiously. He wasn't used to seeing James brood like this, except on the anniversary of his parents' deaths.

"I'm fine mate, just tired…" He trailed off, not knowing if he should make further excuses for his mood. "So where were you? I haven't seen you all day."

Sirius gave James a satisfied look and laughed. "None of your business, Potter. I was busy…with stuff. You know how it is." He smirked.

James smirked in return, seeing through his best friends bluff. "So, I gather Ruby is still as good at snogging as last year then?"

Sirius grinned. "Indeed she is. Lovely tongue."

Seath grabbed Lily's arm and marched her into an empty Transfiguration classroom next to the library.

"What is this about Seath? Can't it wait?" Lily demanded angrily. She did not appreciate being dragged away by her so-called boyfriend.

Seath became rather red in the face and his eyes flashed with fury. "I've had enough, Lily! You…this… I…" he stuttered, his anger interfering with his ability for speech. "You always brush me away, just like you did all summer, and I am SICK of it!" he burst out, yelling in Lily's face. He had felt like a volcano about to explode, and now it felt good to just let it all out.

"Your bloody books are more important than your boyfriend! What kind of relationship is this? Do you care about me in any way? Do you?" he searched her eyes with a hard stare, hoping for an honest answer.

Lily didn't know what to say. Of course she cared _about_ him, but did she care _for_ him? _Well, this certainly isn't love._ She snorted at that thought. Unfortunately, Seath took that as the answer to his question.

"I should have known better. All you care about is your ridiculous books and stupid classes. I was an imbecile to think that you ever cared about me!"

"Seath, no! That's not what I meant when I—" Lily tried to fix her mistake, but it was too late.

"Shut up! I've heard enough. I'm done with your excuses." He pointed his finger at her face with those words and then stood breathing heavily, with his fists clenched by his side. Well-built and tall, he could intimidate most people with his presence, but Lily didn't look impressed by his outburst.

She looked him in the eye and calmly said, "Fine. We're done. Goodbye, Seath."

She walked out of the classroom, leaving him standing alone, looking deflated. He had not expected those words to come from her.

Lily walked back to the library in shock. Those words…they just slipped right out of her mouth… She had had no intention of dumping him. She couldn't believe how cool her last words to him sounded— detached, even.

She started gathering her books as quickly as possible from the table, not wanting to attract any more attention from Madam Parley. Lily picked up a small pile of books when something golden fell from between _Hogwarts: A History _and _Advanced Charms: Beyond the Swish-and-Flick, _and tumbled to the floor. Lily bent down to pick it up.

It was a golden, heart-shaped locket the size of a galleon, hanging on a very delicate gold chain. Examining it closely Lily saw intricate curvy designs on the front and back. '_How did this get between my books? It's certainly not mine, and I've never seen any girl in Gryffindor wear something like this_.'

Despite the fact that the locket looked delicate, it also looked old and expensive_. 'I wouldn't be surprised if this is goblin gold, and a family heirloom at that.'_ She frowned. She still couldn't think of how it could have come to be between two of her books. '_Surely no one would be stupid enough to hide something this valuable between abandoned library books?'_ In her thorough examination of her new find she noticed a tiny indentation the left side of the locket. '_Is this how you open it? Surely there is a way to open it. But how? Magic?'_

She frowned in concentration, intent on her new mystery. Lily tried every opening spell and unlocking charm she knew, but to no avail. The locket remained tightly sealed. '_Perhaps it doesn't open after all. Maybe it's just what it looks like—an expensive pendant_.' But something told Lily otherwise. In all her experience with wizarding objects there was always more than met the eye. In any case, she had been hoping there was a picture or name of the owner inside so she could return the necklace to whoever had lost it.

She dropped the locket into a pocket of her school robes, gathered her books and walked in the direction of the Gryffindor tower. She felt exhausted after all that had happened today; getting ready for school tomorrow, figuring out her new schedule for the year, breaking up with Seath, the fight with James Potter. The whole day was nothing but frustration, anger, and emotion gathering in the pit of her stomach. Lily couldn't wait to get to her bed and just let it out—in the form of tears. '_Why the hell is all this happening to me on the first day back to school? As if last year wasn't enough. And Potter is always here to make it all so much better…' _ Lily thought sarcastically.

**Author's Note: **A HUGE THANK YOU to Carla (a.k.a. thecornerstone), my beta, for all the help she'd given me with the mirror scene and all her other editing. Her help is invaluable.

Please leave a review so I know how I'm doing! Thank you all my readers.


	3. The Old Astronomy Tower

Ch. 3

Lily woke up and groaned aloud; she had a feeling she overslept. The leather wristwatch she had received as a 16th birthday present did not lie: 8:02 AM. This meant she had only 28 minutes to get ready for class and eat breakfast in the Great Hall.

She noticed all the other beds in the girl's dormitory were empty. '_They could have bothered to wake me up. What is wrong with those two?'_ thinking of Adrianna and Abby. Lily rushed into the common bathroom and paused to look in the mirror. Her reflection made her grimace; red-rimmed eyes from crying long into the night, puffy lids from lack of sleep, and gray-tinged skin from exhaustion. '_What a way to start the year, Evans. You simply couldn't look more wonderful. Ugh! Even make-up can't fix a disaster.'_

Lily felt disgusted with herself while taking a quick cold shower. She hated the fact that James was able to affect her like this. He made her feel ugly and dumb, neither of which she was. Granted, she wasn't as pretty as Abigail or Adrianna, what with her frizzy red hair and pale complexion, but she wasn't unattractive either. She was just more interested in books than clothes and make-up, though she had made improvements over the summer. She liked a bit of make-up now, but she still saw no reason to have a trunk full of girly clothes when she wore her school robes most of the time.

Anyhow, it wasn't just Potter she was upset about, it was also Seath. It had all been too violent. He had been her real first boyfriend, even though she didn't like him romantically as much as she wished she had. When they first started going together she was excited and flattered that a handsome Quidditch player was interested in her. '_Well now I know why he picked me! I was obviously an easy target. What a laugh.'_ He had been very caring at first; carrying her books, defending her from other's snide remarks about her looks or her relationship with him. But as time passed he became more and more indifferent to her feelings. He treated her more like his possession than his girlfriend. By the end of the year they barely spoke to each other, yet neither made the move to break it off. They simply parted ways on the train. Lily had not expected him to write to her over the summer, but he had, and she simply ignored his inquisitive letters. _Well I've wised up. The jerk still thought he owned me._

The urge to wrap herself into the fetal position and fall asleep on her bed was tempting. She did not want to think of Potter or Seath; not even today's classes. Lily felt as if her emotions and worries had settled at the pit of her stomach, weighing her down, making her feel exhausted.

She pulled her long wavy hair into a messy bun, and applied concealer under her eyes. She felt better after her shower, but her eyes were still bloodshot and puffy.

Lily gathered her books and wand, and sped down the stairs and out of the Gryffindor common room towards the Great Hall.

James sat among the Marauders barely paying attention to the conversation. He wasn't interested in his breakfast or his friends. All he wanted was more sleep. Untamed thoughts had kept him awake well after midnight last night. Out of the corner of his eye he saw quick movement at the entrance of the Great Hall. His eyes flicked lazily in that direction and widened at the sight of Lily running to her seat between her friends at the Gryffindor table.

James smirked. _How very uncharacteristic of Evans to be late. Too bad she's such a know-it-all. I'd consider being nice to her if she showed some respect... Well maybe not. It's not as if I'd get anything out of it. _James knew she hated him, and he still wasn't sure why. He wasn't used to being despised by girls. Lily was a bit of a mystery to him and the only way he knew how to respond to her dislike was with equal dislike.

He watched Lily join her best friends at the table a few seats down. He noticed her blood-shot eyes and frowned. He was not used to seeing her vulnerable or weak.

"Since when has goggling at Evans become your new hobby, Potter?"

The voice jolted him out of his reverie. He quickly sat up and tried to avert the curious gazes of Sirius, Peter, and Lupin by looking up at the enchanted ceiling.

"I wasn't staring at her, Sirius. I was looking at her friend, the girl with the blonde hair…uh, whatever her name is" James finished lamely. He knew his best friends weren't going to fall for it, but he sure wasn't going to admit to them that he'd been staring at Lily Evans.

"Merlin's beard, you liar. I saw you staring at her!" accused Sirius. James tried hard not to look guilty. He didn't feel like explaining himself to his best friends. He had given them the impression that he hated Lily these past few years, but he would never admit to them that he was curious about her.

James felt too tired to argue, so he just shrugged and left the Great Hall for an urgent meeting of the Prefects he'd only found out about this morning.

Lily secretly watched Potter leave the Great Hall, his friends glaring at his retreating back. She had felt his steady gaze on her for the past five minutes, roaming over her, making her feel more vulnerable than ever. She battled this feeling with all her strength on the inside. She was never going to let Potter make her feel that way ever again. _I refuse to let him belittle me. He's just an arrogant coward. _

A rolled-up piece of parchment tied with brown string landed on her plate, courtesy of a brown barn owl. Lily jerked at the interruption and pulled at the string, unrolling the parchment. Cursive handwriting in green ink graced the paper.

_**Lily Evans, please report to the headmaster's office immediately after breakfast.**_

_**Signed, Prof. McGonagall **_

Lily frowned at the request. _What could this be about? I don't remember breaking any rules… _Adrianna and Abby were leaning in to read the note, curious expressions on their faces.

"Oooh, Lily. What _have_ you done to be called directly to the headmaster's office on the first day of school?" Adrianna inquired in a teasing, overly-dramatic tone.

"Don't be daft, Adrianna. It's probably just some scheduling changes or something," scoffed Abby.

Before she bothered replying to her best friends, Lily glanced at her watch: 9:04 AM, and gasped, "I'm late already! I'll see you two later. Go to class!" Lily yelled as she ran, once again, to reach her destination.

Lily paused to catch her breath and to pat her messy hair down before entering Headmaster Dumbledore's office. She had run full speed all the way, mad that she was not going to be punctual. She also felt stupid because she knew her face was red from the exertion and her hair frizzy from sweat. _Oh, well. At least Headmaster doesn't judge by appearance. I'll just have to make the best of it._

Lily quietly entered the office, praying she wasn't _very _late. But the thoughts flew right out of her head when she saw ten heads turn to stare at her. Her stomach dropped.

Dumbledore interrupted the silence, taking attention away from Lily, who was now blushing beet-red from embarrassment.

"I'm glad you were able to join us, Miss Evans. Please take a seat. We were just about to start the meeting." With a flick of his wand he conjured a chair for Lily, his eyes twinkling. Dumbledore stood up from his desk and addressed the students before him.

"Now, for those of you who are not aware, his eyes pausing briefly on Lily, causing her further discomfort, I requested all Prefects and Head Boy and Girl to meet briefly this morning for an important announcement."

The air in the room suddenly changed from impatience to eager expectation.

"The new prefect quarters and common room have now been completed. They are situated in the old astronomy tower, which has been renovated and expanded for the living quarters of eight Prefects two from each house."

Dumbledore held up a thin hand to stop questions and protests the students were bursting to ask. The angry muttering and confused chatter stopped at once.

"Please allow me to explain," Dumbledore continued "I understand this may come as an unwelcome surprise, but the Heads of Houses and I have agreed that this school could do with some inter-house cooperation. We expect you all to set a good example for the rest of the student body by living in a shared space. There is too much vehemence among the houses. It is time to remedy this problem."

"The staff and I trust you are all exceptional young men and women who will not disappoint us. You shall start living in your new quarters by this afternoon." He paused in his speech as a hand shot up in the air.

"What is your question Mr. Sretan?"

Zachariah Sretan was a pompous prefect from Slytherin. He liked to be in the center of things and stood up to make himself heard. "With all due respect Professor Dumbledore, I do not think this, er, _arrangement _will work to remedy the situation. Why go to all this trouble for a bit of good-natured competition amongst the houses? I do not believe that is an issue." With that, Zachariah looked around the room and smirked with superiority.

Dumbledore's eyes flashed behind his square glasses; a sign to be wary of.

"And that, Mr. Sretan, is where you are wrong. I have seen and heard of _several_ examples of ill-will between students the past few years. None of the incidents resembled what you might call "good-natured competition amongst the houses". The houses have become more hostile towards each other in recent history, than I have ever seen in all my years at Hogwarts. After all, desperate times call for desperate measures."

Sretan's smirk slid from his face and he sat back down, looking angry.

Dumbledore now sat down in his high-backed chair and looked at each of them in turn. The room was very quiet, except for the whirring and puffing of several strange and spindly objects scattered around the room. No one wanted to provoke another outburst from the Headmaster. Objections were obviously pointless.

After a few moments the Headmaster spoke again in a quiet voice from behind his desk.

"I understand the concern. However, the fact that an issue remains to be solved cannot be ignored. This arrangement will be permanent. The living space is as follows: a Prefect common room will be shared by all Prefects, as will the common Prefect bathroom. Bedrooms are divided into pairs of two with a bathroom between each set. Same-house Prefects will occupy each set of bedrooms. The Head Boy and Girl have their own common room and living quarters, located in the small Astronomy tower. You may all still visit with friends in your house common rooms."

Dumbledore paused, smiled at the stunned silence and waved his hand as sign of dismissal. "You may all depart. Personal belongings are awaiting your arrival. Have a wonderful first day of school, and thank you all for your time."

Lily quickly stood up and left the office before anyone else had the chance to react. As she walked out she brushed against James' robes without noticing. In fact, she hadn't noticed him at all.

She was too caught up in her thoughts.

"…don't know how much more I can take…It's driving me up the wall…he is a bloody git…have to share a bathroom with…'

"Girls! A little less chatter, and a bit more attention please!"

Professor Horace Slughorn interrupted Lily's whispered conversation with Abby and Adrianna over the latest developments.

"I'm sorry Professor Slughorn. I…forgot myself…." Lily tried to look innocent of any wrong doing, but Slughorn waved it off with a secret smile and went on with his start-of-the-term speech covering the syllabus for the 6th year Potions class.

"We will be discussing the effects of Wolfsbane potion on werewolves and… is not going to be pleasant, but nonetheless I expect…ready to brew the potion with exactly the right amount…."

Lily tried to tune out Slughorn once again and resume her whispered conversation with Adrianna and Abigail. _Good thing I'm his favorite student, or we'd definitely be in trouble now! _

"…well at least you don't have to share a bedroom with him, just a bathroom. And the Common Room, sort of…," Adrianna tried to calm Lily by pretending that this major news was no big deal.

Abigail looked worried, her eyes searching Lily's. "Lily," she whispered, "Are you still upset at Potter over what happened last year? I know it upset you badly, but I'd hoped you got over that this summer."

Lily looked away, not wanting to discuss anything that happened last year with Potter. "I'm fine. I got over it ages ago, so drop it," she hissed. '_A small lie, no harm done. They wouldn't understand anyway.' _

James glanced at the threesome sitting at the table in front of him; heads huddled together, furiously whispering. He wasn't interested in the class syllabus, he wanted to know what was so important that Miss Know-it-all actually ignored the year's first lesson and lied to a teacher.

'_She's probably upset that she'll have to see me every day now. Not that I'm looking forward to it, either. Bloody hell! They have to do this now, don't they? Make everything more complicated by forcing the houses to interact. Well, it won't work. No way am I being civil to the slimy Slytherins. Befuddled teachers!'_

He eventually tired of ranting and began drifting through his thoughts to the end of his 5th year, last year…

"_James! C'mon, it's not that hard. Or are you just afraid?"_

"_Yeah, mate. You made the bet…you have to hold up your end. Besides…she hates you already so no harm done, right?"_

"_Yeah…yeah I guess you two are right. I'm not a coward mate, I can handle a girl."_

"…Potter! Mr. Potter! Class is over. You may leave now."

James jerked out of his reverie to look up at Professor Slughorn giving him a hard look for his non-existent attention span, and shaking him slightly.

"Oh… Professor, I just… just got lost in my thoughts. Good day!"

Slughorn looked down at James over his bulging belly, shaking his head in disapproval.

James forgot his troubled thoughts as he hastily gathered his books and fled the empty classroom.

Lily approached the Prefect Common room slowly, afraid of more unpleasant surprises. As it was, her first day of class was as bad as it could get. '_Actually, it could have been worse. I could have had another confrontation with Potter'. _That was the only good thing about today—not having to face James.

A magnificent marble statue stood in front of Lily, blocking her entrance to the Common room. It stood towering over her; a marble King of the Merolk, complete with a trident and a crown of seaweed. Lily thought he rather resembled Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, except that the bottom half of his body was covered in scales and a tail. He sat proudly on a throne of rock; head held high, trident in hand.

After a few minutes of gaping at the statue Lily decided that she was still not ready to enter. She paced in front of the statue. _Classes are over. The others will be arriving shortly. I really should go in. Except I don't want to. I don't want to live here. I want to stay in my old dorm. This just isn't fair to us Prefects. We're paying for other people's stupidity and rivalry. Why the hell can't everyone in this damn school just get bloody along?!_

"Enter or leave. Those who balance on the medium will fall into the precipice." The mermaid king statue caught Lily in the middle of her rant. She jumped and gasped. _Merlin! I shouldn't even be surprised. Everything at this school moves and talks._

The statue was still looking down at her sternly, waiting for her to make up her mind.

"Eh, yes sir. I'm just…a bit nervous." She sighed and whispered the password, "Erised" to enter the Prefect Common room for the first time.

The statue made a scraping noise as it moved across the stone floor to reveal an oval opening in the wall. Lily hesitantly stepped through the entrance to find herself in a circular room with a huge fireplace at the far end. Couches, overstuffed sofas, and futons were placed around antique coffee tables. Paintings and portraits of all sizes hung on the white walls and statuettes were placed in nooks and crannies. The furniture was mostly tan and black, the carpet burgundy, and the walls white.Lily had not expected it to be so comfortable, yet scholarly at the same time. She smiled, reading the titles of the rare books above the fireplace.

"You know, my dear, you might want a peek in your new bedroom before dinner. It is quite charming! The books will wait for you."

A painting of an elderly witch in Healer's robes brought Lily crashing down to earth. The witch was now smiling warmly at her, but Lily was too annoyed at the painting to notice or care. She looked around the Common room and was startled to discover five doors, four of which were labeled with house names. She stood in front of the one with the "GRYFFINDOR" plaque above it and walked up the winding staircase. She'd almost forgotten that this was the old Astronomy tower.

She came to a stop in front of two doors when she heard heavy footsteps echoing on the narrow staircase behind her. Lily froze in a moment of indecision. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now, but she also wanted to see who was coming.

James walked through the Prefect common room with barely a glance at the décor or furniture. It wasn't his cup of tea—too stuffy for his taste. All he wanted to do is rest before dinner because he had Quidditch tryouts after that. He walked up the dark and narrow staircase to his new bedroom and was very surprised to find Lily Evans in front of the two doors to their bedrooms, her eyes wide at the sight of James Potter.


	4. A Duel, A Romance, and a Locket

Upon seeing James Lily gave him a look that shot daggers, and stormed into the room on her right, slamming the door. James, suppressing the urge to laugh, knocked on the door.

"What?!"

James opened the door with a smirk on his face. "You're in my bedroom." He pointed to a small plaque attached to the door that read _James Potter_.

Without a word Lily walked out of his room and slammed her door after walking in. She almost forgot her anger and embarrassment as she stared at her sourroundings.

Beautiful cherry wood furniture and antique décor made Lily fall in love with the room instantly. '_Wow. If the Prefect bedrooms are like this, I wonder what the Head ones are like?' _It had always been Lily's dream to become Head Girl in her 7th year at Hogwarts. It was her unfulfilled fantasy. She was determined to make it to the top, determined that no obstacle would stop her from attaining her goal. Not even an obstacle like James Potter.

If reaching the top meant having to get along with someone she despised, then she would endure it. And now, she was closer than ever before, with only this and next year to get through. It wasn't only a matter of being the highest student authority, there was also the thirst to prove herself to all those who underestimated her. '_Such as Potter, for example.'_

At the foot of her queen-size bed was her trunk, full of her belongings and clothes. At the very top was something small, shiny, and golden. Lily gasped; she had completely forgotten about the locket she had found the day before. After all the problems and excitement, thoughts of the locket had vanished.

She sat on the bed and examined the locket once again. A delicate design was etched into its surface and at the very center was a tiny _P_. It was easy to miss because the pattern was so ornate and complex. The locket was small, and the golden chain so delicate it seemed it could fall apart instantly. But Lily knew appearances were deceiving. The locket only looked delicate, yet strangely enough it always felt warm to the touch; radiating mysterious power. Lily was intrigued and baffled. Who did this locket belong to, and what secrets did it hold? She didn't want to show it to anyone, because surely anyone would quickly claim such an expensive heirloom, but she knew she had to find its owner.

'_If anyone can help me, Professor Dumbledore can. Surely he'll recognize an heirloom…that is, if it is an heirloom. Perhaps I could also look in the library for information on goblin-wrought gold…__'_

James wasn't interested in his room. He had barely glanced at his surroundings before tearing everything apart, searching. His clothes, Quidditch equipment, school supplies and bedding were scattered everywhere. His breath caught in his throat, making it hard to breathe. He began to feel panicked.

'_No. NO! It's just not possible! I had it in the breast pocket of my robes only yesterday. It has to be here somewhere… unless it was somehow left behind in my old Gryffindor quarters'._

"Bloody Merlin!" he yelled, kicking his trunk with all his might. A shooting pain went through his leg, making his eyes water.

James couldn't find the only remaining physical part of his mother, the only thing he had left which reminded him of her. It was a powerful magical object; a family heirloom, passed down for centuries until it had been given to him.

And now he had lost it.

The following morning Lily woke early, took a quick shower in the bathroom she shared with James and headed for Dumbledore's office with the mysterious locket in tow.

She muttered the password, "pickle-drop," to the gargoyle, impatient to get to the bottom of this mystery. The statue responded very slowly to her command, slower than usual. Much, much slower, or was it just her imagination? By the time she stood in front of the Headmaster's office door it seemed an eternity had passed. She banged the griffin knocker loudly out of irritation.

A soft "Enter" greeted her ears, and she entered the office. For the second time in two days Lily's stomach dropped at the sight.

James Potter sat in a chair in front of the Headmaster's desk, looking exhausted and nervous. His messy hair looked unusually dull and flat, and his eyes were red-rimmed. They greeted each other with stiff nods and faced Headmaster Dumbledore, who was secretly observing the pair with amusement in his eyes.

"Now that Miss Evans has arrived, I think perhaps it is best that we continue our talk at a later time, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore spoke.

Lily tried to correct the situation, even though she was furious James had arrived before she had. "Pardon my interruption Professor Dumbledore. I hadn't expected…I mean, I didn't think other students would be here at this hour. I don't mind waiting if you would like to finish with _him_."

"No, no Miss Evans. James and I have concluded our talk. But before you leave, Mr. Potter, I would like to speak to you both."

Dumbledore gazed thoughtfully at the teens sitting before him through his spectacles. He seemed to be studying them carefully; summing them up.

"I understand the present circumstances are difficult for both of you. You are forced to share a bathroom and a Common Room when it is no secret that you two are not the best of friends. Therefore, I feel that I must warn you both; the time for petty fights and arguments has gone. The school and its students depend on the behavior of their peers. Prefect badges may be taken away from Prefects whose behavior is not exemplary. I can only hope you can both move past your differences and make amends. After all," Dumbledore added with a twinkle in his eye, "bigger enemies have been known to become friends."

Lily and James could only stare at their Headmaster. He wanted them to become _friends_? Both wanted to laugh at the ridiculous proposal. Obviously, Dumbledore could not begin to fathom their dislike for each other.

James was excused and left the office. Lily wanted to run after him and scream, pour her frustrations on him. Dumbledore looked at Lily questioningly. "Is there anything you wish to tell me, Miss Evans?"

Lily hesitated for a moment before making up her mind. "No, Professor. I simply wanted to thank you for your—your advice." After that "lovely" talk she had no desire to speak to the Headmaster about the locket. Although she did have the desire to scream at James for seemingly thwarting her plans on purpose.

Dumbledore nodded, looking unconvinced. He dismissed her and Lily hurried out of his office. She flew after James in a rage. She caught up to him in the corridor below Dumbledore's office.

"How _dare_ you!" she screamed, her voice echoing in the deserted corridor. James turned around to face Lily, looking wary and bored.

"How dare I what?" he replied lazily – a half-hearted attempt to make her angrier.

"How dare you complain to Dumbledore about me! You had the _nerve_ to wake up before me, run to Dumbledore, complain to him about me, and then pretend to be surprised when I came!" Lily yelled, forgetting Dumbledore's warning the second she left his office. She'd had enough of Potter.

James laughed in to her face, unfazed by Lily's accusations.

"So I suppose waking up before you is a criminal offense now, is it? Princess Perfection has already set up her own laws. And why in bloody hell do you think I went to Dumbledore to talk about you? Do you _really_ think you're so important I'd give up precious hours of sleep to discuss a snotty know-it-all like you with the Headmaster? Sorry Evans, I don't concern myself with your non-existent life," he spat the words out viciously, the anger inside bursting to get out.

Lily was taken aback by his words, feeling as if he'd slapped her. She pulled out her wand furiously, no longer thinking. She wanted to hurl back the years of torment and see James writhe in pain.

He was faster. It all happened in a matter of seconds.

Their wands were pointed at each other's chests, instinct prevailing thought; hatred blinding their judgment.

A voice wheezed from an adjoining corridor and a cat meowed. Lily and James had their wands ripped out of their hands before they could utter a spell.

"Thought we'd have a duel here, eh? Thought nobody'd be around at this early hour?" The voice of Argus Filch cackled, bringing Lily and James crashing back to reality. It hit hard.

"Well, well, well…look what we have here Mrs. Norris, my pretty. Grueling detentions!" Filch wheezed and cackled, holding their wands and squinting at them evilly through his greasy hair.

Lily and James' anger dissipated as quickly as it had made them act without thinking. Neither knew what to say, but both were thinking the same thing: _I'll lose my badge! It's all that prat's fault!_

Lily thought quickly and put on her sweetest face and sincerest smile. "Oh, Mr. Filch! We weren't doing anything wrong. You see, I was showing James the correct dueling stance. We were patrolling the corridors and I thought I would teach him as he is receiving terrible marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts class for doing it incorrectly, aren't you, Potter?"

James couldn't believe how smoothly Lily had lied. He was so shocked he almost forgot to be angry at her for making him look like an imbecile. He forced himself to nod stiffly in agreement.

A sly smile spread across Lily's face. She had gotten the last word in this fight.

Filch cackled again and petted Mrs. Norris lovingly. "Taking lessons from girls now, Potter, are we? He he he. But you lot are still in trouble. We'll talk to Dumbledore about this, we will." He beckoned them with a wave of his hand, excited at the opportunity to punish Prefects.

"But Mr. Filch, we spoke to Professor Dumbledore a few minutes ago!" Lily was desperate to escape any consequences.

"Don't matter. Rule breaking has to be punished."

James knew he had to do something_ now_ if he wanted to get out of this.

"Mr. Filch, we are Prefects and have been given permission from the Headmaster to patrol corridors. I assure you that we were in this corridor legally."

Filch scrutinized James with his beady eyes, searching for a dishonest flicker on his face. He gave a disappointed grunt after a few long seconds. "I'll talk to Dumbledore about your duties myself, but you lot still have detention, you have, for fightin' in the hallway."

Filch thrust the wands in their hands, turned around and hobbled off with Mrs. Norris at his feet.

Relief swept through both of them and exhaustion set in. James felt drained and annoyed.

"For the record, I did _not_ go to Dumbledore to talk about you. Not that I owe you an explanation or anything of the sort." With that, James turned around and headed for the Great Hall.

Lily walked back to the Prefect common room feeling angry and sad. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind…

'_None of this would have happened if the Prefects hadn't been pushed together like this. Three days into the school year and everything had gone wrong and bound to grow worse every day. Mostly because of Potter. Just this year and next year and I'll never have to face him again. It seems forever until we graduate. Why is it all falling apart? This was supposed to be the best year yet…__'_

Halfway to her room Lily turned around and headed for the Gryffindor common room. She felt the need to talk to someone about this now. She walked through the cozy common room and up the girl's staircase. In her old shared room she woke up Abigail. Whenever she needed advice Abby was there for her; just to listen or comfort.

Lily shook her sleeping best friend. "Abby. Abby! Wake up, I really need to talk," Lily whispered loudly in her ear. Abigail groaned and hid under the covers. Lily waited, knowing Abby's waking-up process.

"Lily! What's wrong? I thought you were in my dream. What time is it? Merlin, it's early." She sat up in her bed, wide eyed.

Lily proceeded to tell Abby everything that has happened with James in the last two days.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Abby asked in a genuinely concerned voice.

"I felt silly since I complain too much about him too much, but now it's gotten so bad, and on top of it all I don't even see you and Adrianna very much anymore because of the separate sleeping quarters and my Prefect duties. I miss the way it was last year so much." Lily's eyes filled with tears.

The two friends hugged fiercely and Abby comforted Lily.

"Lily? I have something to tell you. I've been wanting to say this since the beginning of school, but something always stops me, and… well I'll just say it."

Lily was surprised at Abby's hesitation. She wasn't the kind of person that kept secrets. She was quiet, but not shy.

"You know that Remus Lupin and I've been friends for a few years now. Well, lately we've been spending a lot of time together and well… I think I have feelings for him, Lily."

Lily was stunned. Abby never showed much interest in dating, unlike Adrianna. And even though Remus and she had been friends for a long time, they never seemed interested in each other in that way. But, then again, Lily had not spent a lot of time with them while they were together, since James seemed to like popping up at the most inopportune moments to 'talk to Remus'.

"Lily? Are you ok? I'm sorry I sprung this on you, but I had to tell someone."

"No, I'm fine Abby, really. I'm just surprised. But I'm happy for you. I just never expected…"

"I know, me neither! But I think it's been coming for years… We spent a lot of spare time together these past few years, and over the summer I met him in Liverpool. Gods Lily, Remus is so different away from school, away from his friends."

Lily smiled internally. "So, do you know if he likes you?"

"I have a sneaking suspicion that he does. We got very close in Liverpool…"

"What do you mean, 'very close'?"

"He kissed me."

"Merlin! You should have told me sooner, Abby!" Adrianna squealed after finding out about Abby's developing love life.

"So, did he say anything after he kissed you, or did he kiss you more? What did you do? How do you feel about this?" A barrage of Adrianna's questions assaulted Abby who sat at the Gryffindor table picking at her eggs and toast with a shy, secretive smile.

"Slow down Dri! Let Abby answer," Lily exclaimed with a stern stare at Adrianna.

Abby looked at her two friends fondly and took a bite of her cold eggs. "Well, after he kissed me he said that he hopes it doesn't ruin our friendship. After that we took a walk and nothing else happened. The strange thing is that it seemed so _natural. _So normal, as if we'd always been together…"

"Have you talked to him about this since school started?" Lily asked curiously. This unexpected news was a relieving distraction from her own pathetic problems. But more than that, it was a shock to see how much her best friend had grown up over the summer. Abigail had always been more interested in books than social activities—despite her looks—but now she was beginning to acquire other interests, making Lily feel a bit lonely. Lily could always depend on Abby to be her bookworm twin and study partner. But no matter how far Abby ventured out into the world Lily knew she would never become an Adrianna. Their personalities were like night and day.

"We talked, but he didn't say anything of that nature, and I was too nervous to bring it up. Though he did ask me for a walk today after class. Without his friends, or mine. BUT," Abby emphasized to stop her friend's bursting questions, "I don't think it's meant to be a date or anything of the sort, just a little chat. And before you two think anything more of this than it is, I want to say that I doubt me and Remus will ever be anything more than friends. He is right, we shouldn't ruin a good friendship over some silliness."

As Lily and Adrianna shared a dismayed look over Abby's denial, regret lined Abigail's eyes when she made quick eye contact with Remus sitting further down across the Gryffindor table with his friends.

From his seat next to Lupin, James observed all this with a smirk on his face.

A few minutes later the Great Hall emptied as throngs of students hurried to their first class. Lily, Abigail and Adrianna tried to hurry through the imposing double doors, pushing their way through students.

"What class do we have?" asked Adrianna.

"DADA with the Hufflepuffs," answered Abby.

"Don't tell me Professor Grundel is still teaching that wretched subject." Adrianna groaned while she examined her manicured nails.

"No," Lily answered smartly, "I heard he quit over the summer for unspecified reasons and the Headmaster had to scramble to find someone who was willing to fill the post. Strangely enough, no new teachers were introduced at the Feast."

"Well perhaps this time it will be a handsome man, not some warped old goblin. I'm really quite tired of ugly teachers and ready for change."

Abigail and Lily looked at each other and shook their heads at Adrianna's ditzy ignorance. Sometimes they wondered how all three had ended up being best friends; they all greatly varied in looks, personality, and background. On the other hand, they say that opposites attract.

Adrianna was from a rich pureblood family, well established in the wizarding world with the deep-rooted surname Devlin. Her parents were prominent purebloods affiliated to the Ministry by being related to the Minister of Magic. Neither Lily nor Abby had ever met Adrianna's parents, but they read between the lines and understood that Adrianna never saw them much, either. They were always either travelling or preoccupied with social affairs and events. Lily was Muggleborn while Abby had a Muggle mother. Despite their differences, the three girls understood each other well—most of the time— and ignored the social boundaries.

They arrived to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class just in time. Most of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were already seated at long wooden tables hugging the walls. The three girls eagerly looked about for a new teacher, but saw no one.

Lily, Abby, and Adrianna chose a table by a couple of Hufflepuff girls and sat to discuss the latest rumors. The classroom door opened quietly and a tall witch glided into the room. Her flowing black velvet robes contrasted well with her blonde hair, which was pulled up into a complicated twist, and her small round spectacles made her appear much older than her 27 years. However, no one noticed any of this as they were too busy chattering away. She cleared her throat, and their attention was hers.

The class stared at their new teacher. _Surely,_ many of them thought, _she can't be old Grud's replacement!_

"Good morning, class," the woman spoke in a serious tone, "I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Miranda Gnaritas.

The boys goggled at their new teacher, while the girls whispered about this new development. Professor Gnaritas ignored both and continued speaking in a stern tone.

"There will be no whispering when I speak," the class quieted immediately, "there will be no horseplay while I teach, and there will be no other conduct in this classroom than the one I allow. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Professor," the class chorused.

"Now, take out _A_ _Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions __and turn to page 468. We will be studying the common skin-cutting hex __Coriuperseco __and its counterspell, __Scutulatus scutum, _popular among dark witches and wizards in surprise attacks…"

After DADA, Arithmancy, and Potions Lily spent time with Adrianna and Abby in the Gryffindor Common room. Soon, Abby said goodbye to her two friends and went with Remus Lupin for a walk. Before she left, Adrianna made her promise to tell all details as soon as she gets back. Abby only smiled her secret smile in response and left.

"Well it's just you and me now, Lils," Adrianna said while scanning the room for her latest love interest; Oliver Tarhob, a handsome Gryffindor.

"Tell me about Potter, Lils. Abby sounded concerned about you. She said something about fights and…a bathroom?"

Lily laughed. "I have to share the bloody bathroom with the git, and his room is right next to mine. I know it sounds silly, but I just can't stand him and I've run out of ideas on how to get rid of him…Not to mention Filch's detention that we have to serve together!"

Lily unconsciously started playing with the golden locket she had put on in the morning, afraid that she would lose it otherwise.

"Merlin! Where'd you get that Lily? It's so pretty!" Adrianna exclaimed as soon as she saw the locket.

Lily barely heard her; she was deep in thought. "What? Talking to me? Oh, this? Yes, well I found it in a pile of library books a couple of days ago and I can't figure out who it belongs to."

Adrianna stared at the locket, admiring its delicacy and beauty. "Wow. It's warm to the touch! How strange. I've never seen anything like it, not even in my mother's jewelry display case. It very old, but that makes it so enchanting!"

Lily frowned, staring at the locket. "I'm beginning to think it's an enchanted item. I have to research it in the library."

Adrianna grabbed Lily's arm to keep her from running to the library. "Wait! Let me try it on before you leave. Please? I've never seen anything like it, and I've seen a lot of expensive jewelry," she pleaded, pouting.

Lily hesitated, not wanting to entrust anyone with what could be worth fortunes. "Oh, alright. Let me get it off. But you can wear it just for a second, I have to have it with me when I research."

Lily probed the delicate gold chain for the little clasp, but just couldn't seem to find it.

"Dri, help me get it off. I can't find the clasp."

"I don't see any clasp. There is only smooth gold."

Lily looked at Adrianna in horror. "But that's _impossible_! How do you think I got it on this morning?"

"There is _no_ clasp of any kind, Lily!"


End file.
